Zero Discrimination Day

Zero Discrimination Day

March 1, 2014, was the first day to celebrate diversity and recognize that every person matters – the UN introduced Zero Discrimination Day.

On this day, we want to look at the problems of gender discrimination today in our country.

The UN emphasizes that discrimination is often so deep and systemic that it leads to significant disparities in access to prevention, treatment, care and social support between different population groups. It affects the allocation of resources, the formation of programs and policies, and ultimately - the overall well-being and health of society.

This shows that discrimination is not just prejudice, but a systemic inequality in access to resources and rights. To overcome it, stigma and related problems, we need leadership changes at the individual, societal and political levels.

Gender equality in Ukraine: progress and challenges

In an interview with Ukrinform, Olena Strelnyk, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, noted that Ukrainian society is moving towards gender equality, albeit not very linearly. Ukraine has a fairly strong regulatory framework, and much of the progress has been possible thanks to the hard work of the women's movement.

Important steps include the adoption of a strategy to address the gender pay gap, a strategy for gender equality in education, and the Law of Ukraine “On Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence.” However, even the existence of legislation does not guarantee automatic changes in practice.

Domestic violence and systemic inequality

Despite legislative changes, the problem of gender-based violence remains relevant. Gender discrimination often leads to economic dependence, which makes it difficult to leave abusive relationships. Social stereotypes devalue women's experiences, and fear of judgment forces many to keep silent about cases of violence.

That is, gender inequality does not exist in isolation – it directly affects security, financial stability, and quality of life.

Numbers: Gender Pay Gap

According to the Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in 2023 the actual gender pay gap in Ukraine reached 41%.

The robota.ua platform's research also demonstrates the existence of inequality in the labor market. At the end of 2024, women were willing to accept a salary that was on average UAH 5,644 less than men. In areas where the gender ratio is approximately 60% men to 40% women, the difference in salary expectations increases: men declare expectations of UAH 11,425 more, which is a difference of UAH 47%.

In addition, specialists with over 10 years of work experience ask for a salary that is 25.91% higher than that of a specialist with similar experience.

Olena Strelnyk notes that some of the inequalities are obvious – for example, only about 31% of men take parental leave, and women remain underrepresented in government structures, including parliament. However, less visible factors also play a significant role – “long chains of life choices” that are shaped by societal expectations: family as a priority for women and work as a priority for men.

Gender equality and national reconstruction

The issue of gender equality is directly related to the process of reconstruction in Ukraine. Reconstruction requires the financial capacity of the population, but in conditions of full-scale war, the economic burden on women increases - in particular, due to the fact that a significant number of men serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

At the same time, nationwide surveys of the socio-economic status of households record a decline in the employment rate of women - from 49.3% to 48.7%. Even more noticeable is the decline in the share of women among officially employed people: from 52.7% to a full-scale invasion to 49.8% in 2023.

This means that without the broader participation of women in economic recovery processes, the country is losing significant human potential.

What does “zero discrimination” mean in practice?

“Gender inequality is primarily an inequality not of rights, but of opportunities,” emphasizes Olena Strelnyk. Today, there is practically no direct legislative discrimination in Ukraine, but statistics demonstrate persistent structural imbalances.

The movement towards zero discrimination involves:

  • development of gender-sensitive public policy,
  • stable funding for support services for victims of violence,
  • increasing women's representation in decision-making processes,
  • supporting women's initiatives,
  • educational campaigns and work with stereotypes at the community level,
  • zero tolerance for violence and combating stigmatization.

Ukraine has already begun to overcome discrimination. However, there is still a long way to go before real equality of opportunities.

Zero Discrimination Day is not just a symbolic date. It is a reminder that change begins with personal commitment, responsible decisions and collective action. Saying “yes” to zero discrimination means committing to transforming society so that everyone truly has equal opportunities.

This article was made possible by the support of the Norwegian people through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway (MFA of Norway) within the framework of the project “Building a Gender-Inclusive Recovery with the Women’s Movement of Ukraine” (GEN-Recovery). Responsibility for the content of the information lies with the NGO “La Strada-Ukraine”.

The information presented in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Government of Norway.